When he came out of Cao Bao's house, it was already halfway through the second watch of the night. Seeing that it was getting late, Tao Ying, who was exhausted and a bit drunk, gave up on his plan to go to the city wall to assist Tao Ji in patrolling the city defense.

Several of his followers yawned and returned to their homes.

As soon as he entered the gate, Tao Ying was suddenly stopped by a man. When Tao Ying took a closer look, he saw that this man was in his forties and had a slim appearance. He was Cao Hong, the number one confidant of his cheap father Tao Qian and a fellow Danyang captain.

, Tao Ying was about to raise his hands in salute, but Cao Hong stopped him and said in a low voice: "Young master, there is no need to be more polite. My lord asked me to wait for you here. After my lord asked you to return home, go to the back hall to see him immediately."

"Father hasn't rested yet? He has just recovered from his illness. Why didn't General Zeping advise his father to rest earlier?" Tao Ying asked in surprise.

"I tried to persuade you, but the lord didn't listen. He said that he must wait for you to come back, sir." Cao Hong replied in a low voice, and then urged: "Sir, it's better to go see the lord earlier. It's almost the third watch."

Tao Ying guessed that Tao Qian was waiting for him because something big must be happening, so Tao Ying didn't say anything and followed Cao Hong directly into the back hall and then to Tao Qian's bedroom.

Tao Qian's bedroom was filled with the smell of medicine, with only an oil lamp lit. Tao Qian was sitting cross-legged on the bed, with only two maids serving him. The pottery merchant who often accompanied Tao Qian was nowhere to be seen, and he had obviously gone back to his room to rest.

Went. Seeing Tao Ying come in to salute, Tao Qian, who had been waiting for a long time, showed a smile and refused to let Tao Ying, who was kneeling in front of him, get up. He ordered the two maids and Cao Hong: "You guys go out first.

If I want to talk to my son alone, then stay in front of the door and don't let others get close."

Cao Hong and the maid agreed, bowed and exited the bedroom together, and gently closed the door outside. Tao Qian coughed twice, and then ordered to Tao Ying: "Mingwu, get up, come here, and give your father a pat on the back."

.”

Tao Ying agreed, stood up and sat next to Tao Qian, and while carefully beating Tao Qian's back, he said apologetically: "Father, forgive me, I really don't know that my father is still waiting for me, otherwise, the child would have come back long ago. Still."

Yes, it’s so late and my father is weak and sick, why don’t you go to bed earlier?”

"It doesn't matter, Cao Bao has retired, and my father's illness has been mostly cured." Tao Qian coughed and shook his head, then asked with a smile: "Why did Cao Bao invite my son to his home for a banquet?"

"It's nothing serious. I just chatted for a while about what happened in Xuzhou recently." Tao Ying replied truthfully: "Also, General Cao Bao planned to betroth his daughter to the child, but the child declined."

"Cao Bao wants to betroth his daughter to you? That's how he is." Tao Qian laughed dumbly and immediately understood Cao Bao's intention of betrothing his daughter to you. Then Tao Qian asked with a smile: "Since Cao Bao intends to promise his daughter to my son,

, then why did my son decline? I have met Cao Bao’s daughter once as a father, she is not bad and she is worthy of my son."

"Cao Bao's daughter is also named well? Could it be that the aesthetics of the Three Kingdoms era was based on dinosaurs?" Tao Ying's hair stood on end and he quickly said: "Father, don't blame me. I think General Cao Bao has a special status. If I meet Cao Bao at this time,

The general's marriage would probably cause misunderstandings among interested people, so I had no choice but to refuse."

Tao Qian looked sideways at Tao Ying. Tao Ying lowered his head with a guilty conscience, not daring to look Tao Qian in the eyes. He was even more afraid that Tao Qian would have a seizure and marry the Cao family dinosaur for him. Tao Qian stared at Tao Ying for a moment.

, suddenly smiled again and said: "My son has grown up and is thinking very long-term. Yes, it is easy for people to misunderstand your marriage with Cao Bao at this time. Maybe some people will also murmur that it is because the words and deeds of the father are inconsistent.

He said he would give Xuzhou to others, but privately he was paving the way for his son."

Tao Ying smiled shyly, lowered his head, but secretly muttered in his heart, "Everyone says that my cheap dad is loyal, honest, gentle and pure, but I don't think so."

"Mingwu, tell the truth to your father. If my father really gives up Xuzhou to Liu Bei, will you be willing?" Tao Qian asked again.

Tao Ying raised his head and replied with a very respectful expression: "If my father really gives Xuzhou to Xuande, the child will naturally not be satisfied in his heart. This is human nature. The child dare not lie to his father. But the father

If it is confirmed that the elder brother and the child are not qualified to inherit Xuzhou, and for the long-term peace and stability of Xuzhou, life and death are determined to give Xuzhou to Duke Xuande, the child will have no choice but to obey his orders."

Tao Qian nodded slightly, very satisfied with Tao Ying's answer, and then Tao Qian asked: "In that case, when Liu Bei entered the city, why did my son rush to give up Xuzhou to Liu Bei before he became his father?"

"At that time, my father had already taken out Xuzhou Mu's seal, and the child guessed his father's intention, so he agreed with his father." Tao Ying replied without blinking an eyelid: "It's just that the child moved a little faster, and he got in front of his father without thinking."

"You know something from the slightest, Ying'er, you really impressed my father." Tao Qian smiled and asked: "So Ying'er, can you guess why my father gave Xuzhou to Liu Bei?"

"Father..." Tao Ying wanted to answer truthfully, but after thinking about it, he felt that if he, an honest child, changed too quickly and too much, Tao Qian would be suspicious, so Tao Ying immediately changed his words: "Father, forgive me.

The child did not dare to speculate on his father’s intentions, so he did not know.”

"It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if you say it wrong. Just tell me and listen." Tao Qian encouraged.

"Father, forgive me. The sage said: A son never talks about his father's fault." Tao Ying replied slyly: "That's why the child dare not say anything."

Tao Qian laughed, patted Tao Ying on the shoulder and said with a smile: "My son has really grown a lot. Well, if you don't want to say it, I won't force myself as a father."

After laughing, Tao Qian stared at Tao Ying and asked: "Good boy, what is your plan to go to Cao Ying to deliver the letter? My father also understands it, but what my father does not understand is that with your shrewdness, my son, Liu Bei's letter to Liu Bei

Cao Cao's provocative intentions should not be hidden from your eyes. Why do you want to go deep into Cao Cao's camp to deliver the message? Aren't you afraid that Cao Cao will harm you in anger? "

This time Tao Ying was also completely impressed by Tao Qian, because Tao Ying had already heard it. Tao Qian not only guessed his and Liu Bei's intention to win the hearts of Xuzhou people, but also guessed that he could definitely see Liu Bei's sinister intentions. He was secretly surprised.

Next, Tao Ying said ghostly: "Back to father, this is what the child thinks. Both Liu Bei and Cao Cao are traitors among men. Liu Bei's simple tricks will definitely not be hidden from the eyes of the thief Cao, and the thief Cao will definitely not be fooled, so the child is alone.

Rushing to Cao Ying to deliver the message may seem dangerous, but in fact it is as safe as Mount Tai."

"Then how was your identity discovered by thief Cao?" Tao Qian asked: "Also, why did thief Cao use charlatan tricks to help my son win the hearts of the people of Xuzhou?"

"How did the child's identity be discovered by the thief Cao? Father, please be at ease. The child will have to deal with it himself, but now is not the time to deal with it." Tao Ying rarely answered a heartfelt answer, and then Tao Ying smiled and said: "As for the thief Cao,

As for the fake oil pan, maybe Cao Cao thinks that the kid should be easier to deal with than the big-eared thief."

"Big-eared thief? My son is really good at scolding people." Tao Qian laughed. Not only was he not disgusted with his son's sweet words, but he also appreciated them very much - this shows that Tao Qian is indeed not a good father.

After laughing, Tao Qian put away his smile, put on a serious face, and scolded Tao Ying: "Mingwu, although you have made your father look at you with admiration, you are still too impulsive and too ill-considered.

Your identity has penetrated deeply into Cao Ying. How could the young people in Xuzhou City miss this opportunity to severely damage the Tao family in Danyang? It is simply unwise for you to rush out of the city without considering this!"

"My father taught me a lesson. Children should take it to heart and they will definitely change their ways in the future." Tao Ying also discovered this small flaw in his plan afterwards, and was scolded by Tao Qian again. Tao Ying secretly rejoiced that he was lucky and had no choice but to be honest.

Admit your mistake.

"Just remember, life is more important than anything else. Only by saving your life can you have a chance to start over." Tao Qian taught another lesson, and then smiled: "But my son is very lucky, and my father also just received the news.

, Lu Bu sent troops to attack Yanzhou, and the Cao thieves were forced to retreat. It was only through the blessing of Marquis Lu Wen that you were lucky enough to return to your father."

"Lu Bu sent troops to attack Yanzhou? Is it any wonder that Cao Cao was in a hurry to retreat?" Tao Ying was full of surprise at first, and then he patted his chest and said happily: "My child is really lucky. If Cao Cao hadn't happened to receive this news, my child would have never had the chance to arrive.

My father is a filial piety."

Tao Qian smiled again. After closing his eyes and thinking for a long time, Tao Qian asked again: "Ying'er, have you figured out how to go next?"

"The child wants to take up a military position and lead the army for his father." Tao Ying answered truthfully.

Tao Qian nodded slowly and asked Tao Ying: "Since my son intends to lead the army, why did Cao Bao take the initiative to propose marriage to my son and my son refused? Without Cao Bao's support, it would be difficult for my son to gain a foothold in the Xuzhou Army.

.”

"If I agree, I will have to suffer every night from now on." Tao Ying murmured in his heart, and replied respectfully: "Back to my father, it's the same sentence. My child is marrying Cao Bao at this time. I'm afraid it will scare the snake, but it will not be good.

.And the boy doesn't want to serve under Cao Bao. The boy is bold and wants to ask his father to allocate an army alone and let the boy lead the army alone."

Tao Qian glanced at Tao Ying and said with some dissatisfaction: "Ying'er, my father just praised you a few times, why are you so stupid again? In the battle of Surabaya, the Xuzhou army was severely weakened, and there were only six or seven thousand people left.

, where can my father allocate a separate army to you? Moreover, except for my father’s soldiers, which are commanded by Cao Hong, the rest of the Xuzhou army is Cao Bao’s subordinates. You first rejected Cao Bao’s marriage, and your father allocated Cao Bao’s troops to you.

, what does Cao Bao think?"

"It doesn't matter." Tao Ying replied confidently: "My child doesn't want Cao Bao's soldiers. My child only asks his father for permission to recruit troops and buy horses to form his own army. And my child doesn't want too many soldiers. Eight hundred cavalry is enough."

"Eight hundred cavalry?" Tao Qian suspected that his foolish son was being stupid again, and asked in surprise: "What can eight hundred cavalry do?"

"Soldiers are more valuable than more." Tao Ying replied calmly: "After the rebellion of Cao and his thieves in Xuzhou, the government and the people were severely damaged, and the manpower and material resources were very thin. If the children suddenly formed a large number of new armies, not only the father

The financial resources are difficult to support, and the people of Xuzhou cannot recruit that many soldiers, so after careful calculation, I feel that recruiting 800 new cavalry is enough."

"But eight hundred cavalry, isn't it too few?" Tao Qian also felt sorry for his son and asked proactively: "How about recruiting more, like two thousand cavalry?"

"My child doesn't want infantry for the time being. He just wants to build an invincible elite cavalry for his father." Tao Ying said with a smile: "Besides, if my child recruits too many soldiers, some people may lose their temper."

Tao Qian found that he couldn't understand his son at all. How could he say that this son was stupid? How could he be stupid in his words and deeds these days? He was almost as cunning as a thousand-year-old fox! But he was not stupid.

Why did this son actively refuse to marry Cao Bao to win the support of the chief general of Xuzhou? He also proposed to recruit only 800 cavalry as his direct lineage. What use could 800 soldiers be?

"Father, I have something to say first." Tao Ying added with a smile, "Although I only plan to recruit 800 cavalry, the money and food spent on training and arming these 800 cavalry may be more than the cost of equipping 3,000 or even 5,000 cavalry.

There are more cavalry, please don’t feel bad for your father and give your full support to your child.”

Tao Qian stared at his son for another moment, and finally nodded slowly and said lightly: "Then let you give it a try. I hope my son can bring me some surprises this time."

"My son, thank you father." Tao Ying thanked him with great joy.

"What official position should my father give you?" Tao Qian pondered for a moment and then said quickly: "Let's say Army Sima. You are one level lower than Cao Bao and Zang Ba. You are my son and you have just joined the army.

Can't lift you too high."

"Thank you, father." Tao Ying replied nonchalantly: "I don't care about the size of my official position. I just want to be able to train and command the new army alone. I don't want outsiders to interfere."

"Then you will be under the direct command of your father and will not listen to Cao Bao's command." Of course Tao Qian was not afraid of his son's rebellion, and he also ordered: "Your official position will be officially appointed in a few days. The expenses required for recruiting soldiers and horses and forming a new army will be

You go to Cao Hong to discuss it, as your father will ask him to fully assist you."

Tao Ying happily agreed. Tao Qian held his son's hand again and opened his mouth to say something, but held it back. After hesitating for a long time, Tao Qian finally said something meaningful, "Ying'er, your brother is cowardly and loyal.

If you have such an embarrassing responsibility, my father will be counting on you, so don’t let your father down."

Tao Ying put away his smile and nodded solemnly.
Chapter completed!